Recommended Technical Specifications

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- September 15, 2017 21:06

TestOut’s labs can be complex and resource intensive. Please ensure that you meet or exceed these recommended specifications. (These recommendations are primarily for TestOut Desktop Pro and Pro Plus, but also apply to other TestOut products.)

Note regarding the processor: The CPU should be a High-Mid range processor such as those listed or any other CPU whose average benchmark score from www.cpubenchmark.net meets or exceeds 3500.Having an adequate CPU which is not being overburdened is the single most important factor to having a smooth experience in LabSim. Please see this articlefor a more detailed overview of how the CPU will affect your experience and what constitutes an adequate CPU.

If you don’t meet these recommended specifications, you should try the labs on a faster computer and internet connection, if available, to see if performance improves. If you meet these specifications and still are having issues with slowness, unresponsiveness or freezing, please see this article.

How to Find your Computer Specifications

On a Windows computer, we recommend going to the System Information utility. In Windows 8 and 10 you can simply click the Windows icon in the bottom left corner of the screen and start typing, “System information” and then just select it. In Windows 7 you can run the msinfo32 command by holding down the Windows key on the keyboard, pressing the “R” key, and then typing msinfo32 and hitting enter. The information you are looking for is highlighted in the image below.

To check internet speeds, we recommend freshly restarting the computer, resetting your router, and turning off any other devices that use your internet connection to reduce the possibility of interfering factors. Then navigate to https://fast.com (chosen for its simplicity and acceptable accuracy).

Labs require an internet speed of 3.6 Mbps per user to have good loading times. After initial loading is completed, the lab uses very little internet, although it is crucially important to maintain an internet connection. (Do not close your laptop or put it to sleep during a lab or your results may not communicate properly to our server.)

Fast.com will automatically begin to run its test and tell you your download speed. If you suspect the result you see is inaccurate, reload the test once or twice. If you see Kbps instead of Mbps then your internet speed is inadequate. 1000 Kbps = 1 Mbps. If you find that you are below the minimum internet speed, see section 7.5 for more ideas.